Get off your ass… and get it done!
Every one of us has been guilty of this at some point in our lives… and sometimes its nearly impossible to figure out how and why it’s the case or what to do about it. Well there’s a lot of books out there that describe a lot of different things but there is one magical formula… one way we can all get around what’s holding us back. What nags at us to “do it tomorrow” and “now’s not the right time.”
Do you know what this magical formula is? I learned it first when I read Napoleon Hill & W. Clement Stone’s excellent book “Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude.” They called it magical… a true talisman of success and I can’t say I disagree. It’s the most powerful three words you can repeat to yourself when your sub-conscience fights against you… when that apathy kicks in, when you’re tempted to put something off…to procrastinate. Its simple: “Do it now!” That’s it… seems simple right? Three simple words? These words are magical! Just repeat them to yourself whenever you get a chance… whenever something asks for something, whenever something shows up in your inbox at work, whenever you remember about doing something…. Just repeat these words in your mind “DO IT NOW!” No excuses to yourself…no putting things off! Just “DO IT NOW!” Watch how your approach to work, life, family and everything in between changes when you put this into action…. Checked your mail, got your gas bill? “Well, I’ll throw it in the pile and worry about it in a couple of weeks when its due….” Or DO IT NOW! Schedule it in your online bill payer AND BE DONE WITH IT!
After a few days, you will feel a thrill…a slight exhilaration…you’re getting so much more done, and it FEELS GOOD when things get done. When your mind is at ease because you didn’t put things off, you GOT THINGS DONE! Now of course you can’t do everything immediately… sometimes things take time; like buying a house… you can’t just make a phone call and own your new house…BUT, you can figure out “WHAT’S THE NEXT CONCRETE ACTION TO TAKE?” Something I learned from GTD (Getting things done by David Allen). Now his system is a bit complicated in MHO…. And it may not work for everyone …. (if you’re an OCD type, its perfect for you…go read this book.) But regardless, even if it doesn’t work for everyone it…this is the key takeaway for me…. WHATS THE NEXT CONCRETE ACTION TO TAKE? Sometimes you get a project… there’s a hundred things to do …and they all seem random; well now what? Can you DO IT NOW? No? Well then WHATS THE NEXT CONCRETE ACTION TO TAKE? Figured it out? Okay then…. DO IT NOW! 